Numbed
by Writeous
Summary: Jack Frost was the second permanent Winter Spirit to walk the Earth. The other created the Ice Age... and then disappeared. Good thing that Father Time will always be there to help her exact her revenge. Not OC-centric.
1. Chapter 1

**What am I doing?! I already have another multi-chapter I'm working on, but... this idea refused to leave. So, enjoy.**

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It was an ordinary winter day in Burgess, Pennsylvania. Snow had fallen in thick sheets, long since trampled by excited children. Flurries were drifting down lazily to compensate for their loss, and already, kids of all ages were pressed up against their windows to witness the second snow of December make its descent.

But Jack, the bringer of the snow in the first place, was floating a hundred feet up in the air, hidden by the clouds and cradled by the wind, looking like any other teenager. He smiled, his mood represented in the gentle snow fall. He was relaxed, which, he had to say, was almost a rare occurrence. It was winter after all, and with him being the self-proclaimed Spirit of Winter, he and the wind had already traveled around the globe at least a dozen times. Winter in the Northern Hemisphere was always busier than winter in the Southern, because, after all, that was Moeshe's territory, and there was nothing the Spirit of the Oceans loved more than warm water.

Which is why Jack always made an effort to make summer as busy as winter.

But winter was here again, and for probably one of the only times in the few months ahead, he could rest.

And people said he wasn't responsible.

This winter was special, because this was the first he could celebrate as a Guardian. Apparently there was a Gathering they all had to attend at the Pole on the 27th, a tradition that had lasted since the Dark Ages.

Jack had to admit, he was nervous. There had been many gatherings of the Guardians since they'd defeated Pitch, and Jack had a suspicion that he was the cause. Maybe it was the Guardians trying to make up for his 300 years of solitude, or trying to give him the feeling of trust in his newfound family.

Not to say that Jack wasn't grateful for the effort. Honestly, he was. But it still seemed delicate, and that always made him wary. That made them work harder to bring him into their fold, which both helped Jack and make him more on edge than he already was.

Ah, the joys of friendship.

But today, he pushed the worry of three weeks from now, and his duty of bringing snow, away, at least for a little while. He was home, it was almost Christmas, and he deserved a break.

He closed his eyes for a while, drifting off into a half-sleep, before he heard the soft sound of laughter from below. More specifically, Jamie and his friends. Jack grinned, allowing the wind to lower him down. They were always the first ones out during a snowfall. His staff dangled from his fingers as he landing softly on the top of the fence, balancing easily on the inch wide wood. They hadn't seen him yet, and for that he was grateful. With his staff, he created a snowball, blowing on to solidify it. A sense of déjà vu hit him, but he easily shook it off. He aimed at Jamie's capped head, aligning it perfectly to make it seem as if it had come from a completely different angle. Because if there was one thing Jack could do, it was starting a snow-war without trying.

However, just as he was about to let it fly, he was stopped by a warm hand on his wrist. He jumped, twisting as he did so, his staff raised in front of him in a defensive pose. The hand's owner yelped, taking a step back. "Watch where you point that thing!"

Jack immediately withdrew his staff, embarrassed, as he realized who he was with. "Sorry, Violeta."

The Spirit of Spring smiled, wrapping her arms around herself. She frowned. "It's cold, Jackson."

Violeta was absolutely the only person in the world that could get away with calling him by his full name. He rolled his eyes at her comment. "No dip, Sherlock."

Violeta furrowed her eyebrows. "Who?"

Jack shook his head. Violeta never spent much time in the human world, preferring to spend time with other immortals. She'd never heard any of the references that Jack had picked up. "Nothing. It's a human thing."

"Oh." Violeta's frown deepened and she looked away. Jack felt a pit of dread open in him for a moment, before she smiled again, her bright teeth contrasting with her dark skin. "So… how are things going with you, _Mr._ _Guardian_?"

Jack's eyes widened. "You heard about that?"

Violeta grinned, green eyes alight. "Jackson, everyone heard about that. The last time the Man in the Moon chose a Guardian was almost 600 years ago!"

"Oh." Jack said. "So everyone knows?"

"Everyone." Violeta confirmed. "But, you know," she lowered her voice, "some aren't happy about it. You should try to avoid Cupid and the Leprechaun for the next few decades."

Jack shivered. "Wasn't planning on meeting them anyway."

Violeta laughed at his stricken look. "They're both sweethearts. Maybe you _should_ try to get to know them someday."

"Easy for you to say." Jack grumbled. "You get along with everyone."

Violeta raised an eyebrow. "And that's a bad thing?"

"No, of course not! I'm just saying-"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Jackson." She studied him for a moment. "You know… you remind me of Juliana."

Jack pulled away, horrified. "Juliana? How do I remind you of _Juliana_?"

Violeta laughed. "Just because she's the Spirit of Summer and you're the Spirit of Winter doesn't mean that you don't have to-"

"It's not that, it's just that she's always so full of herself all the time with her _global warming_, and how everyone just _loves_ her season, and-" He cut him himself off, shooting an apologetic look at Violeta. "Uh… No offense."

"None taken. She's my sister, not me." Her grin slowly faded, and she started to pick at the hem of her blouse. "Look, Jack, I actually came to talk to you about something. I-"

Violeta stopped herself at the cry of "No fair!" came from Claude. Her eyes softened, controlled longing on her face. "I guess you have believers now, huh?"

Jack shifted uneasily, wondering what she had wanted to tell him. "Yeah." He pointed at Jamie. "He was my first, but they all helped get rid of Pitch."

Violeta flinched slightly at the mention of the boogeyman. They were silent for a few moments, before she murmured, "What's it like?"

Jack didn't have to ask what she meant. He stared at the frost patterns on his staff. "It's… it's better than I'd ever thought it'd be. It's like…" he struggled for the right words, "like everything you've worked for, everything you've ever done, has led up to that one moment where they can… _see_... you." He sighed at the memory. "You're not just a name anymore, you're not invisible. It's like becoming alive all over again." He glanced at Violeta, who hadn't moved since he'd started his speech. "Does that make sense?"

Violeta shook her head. "I wouldn't know."

Jack looked at her, unsure of what to say, before settling on not saying anything. The silence between them was deep and they both startled at Jamie's voice. "Jack!"

Jack couldn't help the grin that slipped onto his face. He hopped down from his perch. "Hey kiddo!" He ruffled Jamie's hair as the rest of his friends caught up to them.

Jamie smiled breathlessly. "Thanks for the snow day, Jack! I mean, we were going over stuff for finals _again_, and I don't even get why we _need_ finals, because it's almost Christmas, and-"

"Slow down!" Jack laughed, stopping Jamie's rambling. He heard a small sigh from above him, and looked up to meet Violeta's eyes for second, before she turned her head.

His stomach dropped, remembering his own days of witnessing other spirits with their believers. He frowned momentarily.

An idea sparked in him, and he silently asked Violeta's spring wind for a favor. After a moment, it agreed, sweeping her up off the fence, with a "Whoa!" and depositing her gently on the ground beside him. She sent him a perplexed look, and he grinned.

He leaned over and whispered, "I give you full permission to mess with my season."

Violeta frowned at him, before she realized what he was trying to do. She gaped. "Are you sure?"

"Positive." Jack confirmed.

She twisted the end of a strand of hair, biting her lip. Jack could practically feel her nervous excitement. "Well, okay then."

She placed her palm flat against the fence and closed her eyes. Jack glanced down to see the kids looking at him, confused, having witnessed his apparent one-sided conversation. He tilted his head at the fence, redirecting their attention.

He turned to watch Violeta work her spring magic. Unlike him, she didn't need to rely on a channel as much as he did with his staff, but instead kept her seasonal work protected by the emerald and gold amulet that rested on her neck. She clutched one hand around it, fingers white, as she made swirling green patterns spiral from behind her hand, causing leaves and tiny bright spots of budding flowers to follow in its wake. Jack restrained his own magic from freezing them as quickly as Violeta created them.

The kids gasped in wonder. "How are you doing that, Jack?" Cupcake asked, delighted. Violeta faltered at her words, and the designs started to shrink.

Jack silently encouraged her, and she started again, the spirals branching off to make a pattern that was starting to resemble a tree. "I'm not." Jack answered. "She is." He nodded in her direction. "Violeta."

There was silence for a moment, before Monty broke it with a "_Who?_"

Violeta stopped cold, withdrawing her hand and clenching it in a fist. She shot a hopeless look at Jack, green eyes wide.

Jack's shoulders slumped in defeat. If they couldn't see her-

"Oh my gosh!" Pippa exclaimed, pointing at Violeta excitedly, causing her head to snap up. "Are _you_ Violeta?"

Violeta gaped at her for a moment, open mouthed. She glanced at Jack, who nodded encouragingly.

She stepped forward. "Yeah. That's…" She took a deep breath. "That's me."

Pippa stared at her, wide-eyed. "Whoa. Are you another Spirit?"

Violeta nodded, not saying anything. After a moment, Cupcake gasped. Caleb and Claude both jumped as the physically 15-year-old immortal came into view.

"Wow." Jamie turned to Jack. "So there are more of you guys?"

"Yes, there are." Violeta replied for him, and Jack could swear Monty almost fainted. "There are hundreds of us, all around the world." Her voice was faint but clear, as if she couldn't believe what was happening, but was determined to do it right while it lasted.

"That is so cool!" Pippa said, looking back at the tree that Violeta had created, which had stopped shrinking and now stood strong. "What do you do?"

Violeta stood straighter. "I am the Spirit of Spring."

"Like you're Spirit of Winter?" Caleb asked Jack.

"Yeah. Exactly like that." Jack responded, eyes on Violeta.

Jamie turned to Violeta, "Are you a Guardian?"

Violeta stiffened for a moment, before relaxing. An easy smile formed on her lips. She gazed at the children around her, her eyes finally resting on Jack's. "I don't need to be. I have everything I need right here."

Claude looked back and forth between the two. "Are you guys… dating?"

Jack and Violeta stared at him for a moment, before denials started flying.

"Why would you even think that?"

"She's _not_ my girlfriend!"

"He's just a friend!" Violeta stopped, locking gazes with Jack again. "My best friend." She let her careful composure drop, enveloping him in a sudden hug. If it weren't for his acute sense of balance, they would have toppled over. "Thank you." She murmured.

Jack overcame his shock and wrapped his arms around her. "Anything for a friend, Violeta."

She pulled away, and immediately started cracking up. "I didn't know you blushed _blue_, Jackson." She teased.

He gaped at her. "Hey! I do not!"

She smirked as Jamie turned away to hide his laughter. "You look like a blueberry. I would know, Jackson. I help create them."

"Oh, shut up." Jack nudged her, not at all annoyed.

She giggled, warm wind enveloping her and lifting her black curls off her shoulders slightly.

Okay, maybe Claude had some truth in his words, because while Jack would forever deny it, he _did _have a bit of a crush on her.

That was around the time that Sophie bobbed out of the Bennett house. The 4-year-old had no problem believing in the Spirit of Spring, and spent almost the entire afternoon clinging to Violeta, wonder in her eyes as the immortal created daisies out of the frozen ground to braid in the little girl's hair.

It wasn't until later, after darkness had finally forced the kids indoors, were Jack and Violeta alone again. The Man in the Moon hovered over them, as full and bright.

Their respective winds had lifted them both into the air, where they now flew in companionable silence. Violeta had a permanent grin on her face; her jade eyes the most content Jack had ever seen them.

Jack smiled, watching her out of the corner of his eye. His staff was draped across his chest, and he was just starting to doze off when he remembered something. He twisted in the air to face her.

"Hey, Violeta?" He murmured, watching her intently. She cracked an eye open to look at him. Jack hesitated. "Not that I don't appreciate your company and all, but, why _did_ you come to see me today?"

The spring spirit froze, hesitating. "Jack…"

"I mean, you mentioned something earlier, and I was just wondering-"

"Jack." Violeta interrupted. "I just came to tell you…" she paused, fingering her amulet nervously. "It's just, I mean, I wasn't sure, and thought you should-"

"Violeta." He held her gaze, uneasiness rising at her distress. Violeta was never one to get anxious, but just thinking about this was getting her on edge. "What is it?"

Violeta looked away from him. She hung her head, before meeting his eyes, a soft sigh leaving her lips. "It's just…" she bit her lip, "Chiara's waking up. And she wants to see you."

Jack's heart almost stopped.

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**In case you're wondering, this is not going to become a JackxVioleta fic. It's a small, one-sided crush.**

**Reviews are forever appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

"And you're absolutely positive you want to do this?"

Jack ran a hand through his hair, meeting Violeta's conflicted eyes. "This was your idea in the first place, remember?"

Violeta shifted her weight uneasily, fiddling with her amulet, something Jack had noticed she did whenever she was nervous. "Well, I mean, yes, but technically… _Technically_ it was Chiara's."

She resumed walking, picking her way through the dirt tunnels with a practiced grace. Jack had long-since regretted entering, because they reminded him way too much of Bunny's tunnels, thank you very much, but he was getting the feeling that staying in these was better than what lay beyond. "And why was it, exactly, that Chiara wanted the honor of meeting me in the first place?"

Violeta snorted. "I don't know, actually. I haven't spoken to her in more than one hundred thousand years."

Jack stumbled at her words, using his staff to right himself. "Wait, what?"

Violeta glanced at him in surprise. "You didn't know?"

"Well, yeah, I knew. It's sort of hard not to." In fact, Chiara was almost a legend among immortals. "She was your sister, right?" He looked at Violeta for confirmation before continuing. "The Spirit of Winter. She created the Ice Ages, and no one has seen her since."

Violeta shrugged. "Missing some details. Yes, she was my sister. She was also the Spirit of Winter, as you said. I remember when my mother was alive, they didn't get along well. She didn't get along with any of us, in fact." After a pause, she added thoughtfully, "No, actually. She got along with our father and our grandfather."

"I don't study family trees." Jack replied flatly.

Violeta allowed herself a small smile. "Our father is, well, Father Time. Chiara was by far his favorite, still is, in fact. And Chiara was very close with Kozmotis Pitchiner." She saw Jack's confused expression. "You'd know him as Pitch Black."

Jack baulked. "Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. _Pitch_ is your grandfather?"

"Through Mother Nature."

"Mother Nature was Pitch's daughter?!"

"You're right. You obviously _don't_ study family trees."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I have better things to do in my spare time."

"Like what?" Violeta teased. "Start snowball fights and cause blizzards?"

"You know me so well."

Violeta smirked. "Anyway, she was close with them, but never with us. We had arguments all the time. The worst ones resulted in the Ice Ages." She shivered. "She unleashed all of her power at one time, and even with our combined efforts, left the world in winter for centuries at as time. It didn't help that Father Time was always on her side." She said bitterly.

Jack winced. "Ouch."

"Ouch indeed. At the end," Violeta said regretfully, "she sort of… folded in on herself. We barely saw her, if only at wintertime. The seasons passed normally, and everything was as it should have been.

"I'm not exactly sure what provoked her, but one day, in the middle of summer, she stormed out, created the last Ice Age, and then just… fell asleep. She hadn't woken up, that is, until-"

"Until now." Jack finished for her.

Violeta nodded. "Until now. After we finally sorted the Ice Age out, we went through many, many, different Winter Spirits. Most of them didn't last longer than a few decades." She glanced at Jack curiously. "Except you. The Man in the Moon finally took pity on us when you became the second true Spirit of Winter."

Jack stiffened at the deity's name. He still wasn't sure what he felt towards the Man in the Moon for leaving him in the dark for 300 years, only to contact him out of need. Granted, he had given him a family, but MiM had left too many frayed ends in Jack to be ignored. He pushed his emotional turmoil away, turning back to the conversation. "That's why she wants to see me then? Because I'm the 'second true Spirit of Winter'?"

Violeta considered for a moment. "Probably. But I have absolutely no idea how she heard about you so quickly."

Jack shrugged. "When'd she wake up?"

"About a week or so ago, I'd say."

"Guess I'm more famous than I thought."

Violeta laughed. "Guess so."

They fell into a comfortable silence. The tunnels were lit by natural light, even though were no windows or holes to let sunlight filter through. If Jack looked closely enough, he could almost make out delicate carvings engraved into the rough-hewn walls. The pictures seemed to tell a story, but Jack couldn't figure out the meaning behind it.

He glanced over at Violeta, who had the fingers of her left hand running lightly over the symbols. The content look on her face was marred by apparent worry, faint wrinkles lining her forehead. Jack felt half ashamed to have put them there, and half touched that she cared enough to have them in the first place.

The end of his staff dragged softly against the dirt floors of the tunnel, shaping a shallow ditch as it did so. Frost patterns lined the sides of it, not melting in the warm air. It was surprisingly comfortable, but Jack had a suspicion that had to do with his apparently not so unique status of Spirit of Winter.

The quiet between the two Spirits was not broken until they reached the end of the tunnel, coming to a stop in front of a barrier made of fresh leaves and budding flowers. Soft light streamed from between them, and Jack could see a clearing beyond it.

Violeta turned to him. "Welcome, Jack Frost, to the Glade of the Seasons."

She pushed the plant curtain to the side, letting Jack slip inside before she did. The first thing Jack noticed was the smell, like overgrown wild-flowers. Light streamed from an angle, illuminating a flowering meadow, lined with lush green trees.

Jack turned to Violeta, confused. "I thought we were going to see Chiara?"

Violeta turned; face alight with the largest smile the Jack had ever seen her with. "We are. The Glade of the Seasons, however, makes you go through the cycle of all four seasons before you reach your destination." She swept her arm around, spinning in a circle. "Right now, we're in the Lea of Spring."

That explained it, Jack thought. As Spirit of Spring, the Lea would be her home. It would also explain that, regardless of its peaceful beauty, gave him an uncomfortable itch under his skin that always signaled it was time to move on from a place.

Ugh, if this was what the Lea of Spring was like, who knew what torture lay in Juliana's realm.

Next to him, Violeta sighed. "Time to go." She led him out of the clearing, missing the guilty relief on his face as she cast one last glance around.

They remerged in another dirt tunnel. Violeta smirked at him. "If that was bad, just wait until the Valley of Summer."

Okay, maybe she hadn't missed it as much as he'd thought.

Jack noticed how it was getting progressively hotter in the tunnels, and he begrudgingly pushed the sleeves of his hoodie up to his elbows. That one action felt almost like weakness, and weakness was one thing Juliana loved to rub in his face.

Violeta rolled her eyes at his sour-faced look. "It's not going to be_ that_ horrible. You want to see Chiara, don't you?" Violeta paused. "No… no you don't."

"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!"

Violeta laughed. "Come on."

The walk between Spring and Summer was much shorter than the journey to the Glade of the Seasons, and before Jack knew it, it was unbearably hot, and they were coming to a stop in front of a white picket fence, of all things.

If white picket fences were 10 feet tall, and barbed at the ends with razor points.

"Charming." Jack said dryly.

Violeta ignored him in favor of unlatching the gate. A blast of dry air hit them; parching Jack and making him bite back a reflex gag. Violeta glanced at his flinch, but turned her searching gaze back to the Valley of Summer.

Jack squinted through the heat waves, trying to focus on the landscape around them. It was big, much bigger than the Lea was. Yellowed grass barely cushioned his bare feet as they walked. He and Violeta seemed to be surrounded by a ring of trees, dark green leaves rustling in the wind as the sun beating down relentlessly. Jack's lungs seemed to rattle with each intake of dry air, and he gripped the freezing wood of his staff tightly, thankful for the small relief it brought.

The heat, to say the least, was uncomfortable, annoying, and unbearable.

Huh. Just like the Spirit that represented it.

"Violeta."

Speak of the devil.

Jack glanced up. Perched in the branches above them was a girl in cargo pants and a t-shirt. Her face was partially hidden by the shadows the sun cast on the branches behind her, but Jack could see the edges of a blonde pixie-cut. Sky blue eyes glared at him.

"And Jack Frost." Her voice had a faint Indian lilt to it, barely there. "Enjoying the weather, I hope?"

Jack crossed his arms, leaning on his staff. "Nice to see you too, Juliana." He replied, voice void of emotion.

Juliana sniggered. "Ah, Jackson, I've missed that nonexistent wit of yours. Been too soon."

"Juliana!" Violeta cut in, seeing Jack's response to his name. "We were just passing through."

Juliana glanced down at her sister. "Oh, I know. What's this I hear about Chiara's sudden interest, Frost? She hasn't asked to speak with any of us yet, has she, Vi?"

"Juliana," Violeta said, voice steady, "they're both winter spirits. She probably wants to know what has-"

"Been happening, I know." Juliana narrowed her eyes at Jack, who responded by slinging his staff over his shoulders, "But don't you think it's a little odd that he would be the very first? She could have asked me. I would have given her the complete rundown of how exactly Jackson here has been doing while she was-"

"Oh, but Juli," Jack said, mockingly interrupting her, "she doesn't want to see you. Sister dearest wants to see me."

Juliana slid down the tree, landing softly on the ground before them. She and Jack stood almost nose to nose, but Jack refused to step away. "Oh, don't think I don't know that, Frost. This may come as a shock to that dullard mind of yours, but I know Chiara much better than you do. And when Chiara demands to see someone, she doesn't do it to give them flowers and a sticker for good work. No, Jack Frost, she wants you there for a different reason."

Jack glared at her, "Well, we're just going to have to find out about that, won't we?"

Violeta stepped in, breaking the staring match, "Juliana," she snapped, "I believe it's time we best be going.

Juliana met her sister's eyes before her gaze slid back to Jack, "Well, then, Frost, I wish you good luck." She said curtly, and with that, she was gone, taken by the wind in a trick only the Sisters could master.

There was a moment of tense silence, "Well…" Jack finally said, touching the tip of his staff to the ground again, "let's get out of here. It's a little too hot for my taste." He started to walk across the dry ground, the crunching grass under his feet making way for desert sand.

"Jack," Violeta said, catching up to him, "Jack, are you okay?"

Jack sighed, "I'm fine, Vi. But the sooner we get this over with, the better."

After that, they walked in silence through the Valley of Summer. In all honesty, the trek wasn't very long, but the heat seemed to drag Jack down.

Without hesitation, they entered the tunnels, but this time, no words were spoken. It progressively got cooler as they traveled. Finally, they stopped in front of a large gateway that towered over their heads, much taller than the gate that led into the Valley. This one was entwined with light brown vines; each bearing leaves of purple, red, and yellow. They snaked through the metal designs, which were lined with thin veins of moss. It held a creepy beauty that awed all that looked upon it.

Violeta reached forward, slowly unhooking the metal clamps. She pushed it open, letting go of the metal quickly, as if stung. Jack would have helped her if he could, but it was well-known fact that only the Sisters could touch the Gateways that connected the Glade of the Seasons, which was the primary reason it wasn't frequently visited by others.

Violeta let Jack enter before her, closing the gate behind her. Jack took a deep sigh of relief. It was even colder than both the tunnels, a relief to his heated skin. It was, admittedly, warmer than he would have liked, but it was cool, and that was all that mattered.

"This is the Woodland of Autumn." Violeta explained. Jack nodded; it was easy to tell. They seemed to have stepped into the middle of a forest, each harboring leaves of different hues. They blanketed the ground below, creating a soft, soundless carpet. It seemed eerily quiet, only the sounds of a light wind blowing through.

Violeta led him forward, Jack keeping pace. He slowly raised his staff, tapping the end of the crook to the trunk of one of the trees. He smiled as his frost patterns spread outwards from it.

"I doubt that Harriet is appreciating that." A quiet voice made Jack jump. He spun, trying to locate it, staff held defensively.

"Hello, Nima." Violeta called. Jack blinked, and all of a sudden, the Spirit of Autumn appeared. Jack took a step back in shock. He was certain that she hadn't been blown in by the wind, as Juliana had. No, it seemed that she had been there the entire time, watching and blending into her surroundings.

"Violeta," Nima acknowledged softly, stepping forward. Now that she was moving, it seemed impossible to Jack that he'd ever mistaken her in the first place. She was twirling a long strand of dark red hair absent-mindedly, brown eyes calculating as she took him in. "Greetings, Jack Frost. I've heard much about you."

"I'm sorry that I can't say the same for you." Oh, Jack had heard about the Spirit of Autumn, and Violeta had mentioned her before, but no one really knew her, save for Violeta and Juliana.

Nima nodded once, picking at the garnet strapped onto the choker at her neck, "I'm glad to hear that, Jack Frost."

Jack was confused by the cryptic response, but smiled anyway, "Call me Jack." He glanced at the tree he had frosted over, "And I'm sorry about, uh, Harriet."

"Don't worry yourself, Jack Frost. Harriet has grown old over all of these years, and cold must not be a welcome feeling to her."

Jack nodded slowly as Violeta addressed her sister. "Nima, I think Jack should be leaving now."

Jack frowned, "Are you saying you're not coming with me?"

Violeta and Nima exchanged a look. "Jack Frost," Nima said, "I'm sure Violeta has told you that she cannot accompany you if Chiara's invitation did not extend to her."

"But-"

"Believe me, Jack," Violeta interrupted, "it's better this way."

Nima looked back and forth between them, "I think it's time we took you to Chiara now, Jack Frost."

This time, it was Nima who led Jack through the Woodland and into the tunnels, making absolutely no noise. Violeta trailed behind the two, only catching up to them when they reached the Gateway.

The Sisters visibly shivered as Jack took a deep breath of the crisp, cold air, reveling in it. This Gateway was different from the others, Jack noticed, made almost entirely of ice. It swirled around to make patterns that sometimes gave way to upward facing icicles. It would be lying to say that it wasn't beautiful, and Jack was somehow drawn to it. Without realizing it, he reached out with one hand, fingers extended to touch the crystalline ice.

He was stopped as Nima's small hand wrapped around his wrist, pulling him back. "No, Jack Frost."

Jack shook his head, snapping out of the stupor, "Right," he stammered, "of course."

Nima and Violeta exchanged a look, before stepping in front of him, blocking his view of the gate as they worked together to open it. Eventually, it swung open, revealing what Jack could only call a winter wonderland.

But it was disgustingly twisted. Huge icicles hung like stalactites from a nonexistent ceiling, emitting a soft glow, their source out of sight. Pure white snow blanketed everything, untouched. A few dead trees were scattered around, as if eternal sculptures. Chilling wind ruffled the snow, making the icicles rattle slightly. Everything was in shades of white and blue, fading into each other seamlessly.

Jack swallowed, tearing his gaze away to look at the two Seasonals behind him. "The Gale of Winter," Nima said in awe. "I forgot how…" She trailed off into silence.

Violeta met his eyes, "Go on."

Nima spoke up, "And good luck, Jack Frost."

Jack nodded at the less than cheery farewell. He stepped away from the Spirits and into the snow, marking the first footsteps that it had probably felt in a long time. He tried not to wince as the gate slid creakily shut behind him, instead swinging his staff up over his shoulders, hands hanging off both ends.

He picked his way through the Gale, unsure of how he felt about it. With each step, the air became chillier, the light darker. He suppressed a shiver; it didn't feel like winter was_ supposed_ to feel.

He slowed as he approached a large wall of unblemished white stone. He frowned as he followed it. None of the other seasons in the Glade had held any kind of structure, but the Gale seemed to be an exception to the others in many sorts.

He came to an edge, and looking past it, he saw another wall extending from it. He turned the corner, proceeding to follow that one instead. It happened again, and once more.

Jack stopped walking, teetering back on his heels. A building then, perfectly square. This place just kept getting weirder.

He tried to think back to any kind of door or opening he might have seen when he had circled the perimeter, but nothing came to mind. He bit his lip. Jack had a feeling that to get to Chiara, he had to find a way into this place. _But how?_

Well, he had to look at it from a different perspective. This was one winter spirit to another, a game of chess, almost. From the limited info he'd heard about the lost sister, he could tell she would want to test her replacement, give them a challenge of some sort.

Check, Jack had found the challenge. Now it was time to get past it.

Without realizing it, he started pacing, his staff dragging behind him. The answer would be something agonizingly simple, he was sure. It would such a no-brainer, that he would completely slide past him.

Jack stopped, facing the wall. Something simple, like a latch, maybe.

He hesitantly reached out, the same feeling from the Gateway coming back to him. He had neglected to touch the walls earlier, resisting the dogging urge.

His fingertips brushed against the stone, and time seemed to stop for a split-second. Jack blinked and the next thing he felt was a harried jerk on his arm, and he was falling.

Reflexes kicked in halfway through, and Jack let go of his staff, hands spread to break his fall. He used his momentum to jump back up to a stand, taking a moment to regain his balance. He shook his head, dizzy spots circling his vision.

"Very impressive, Jack Frost."

Jack stiffened at the crisp sound of a voice. He turned his head slowly, finding himself staring into grey eyes set in a pale face, sharply contrasting with loose jet black hair. Her chin was lifted slightly in a regal pose, and she looked upon him with the interest of a jungle cat. She sat atop of a plain marble table, legs crossed beneath a long skirted white dress. A diamond glittered at her neck. He swallowed harshly.

"I try," he said, his voice stronger than what he'd expected it to be. Instinct came in, and he broke eye-contact for moment, looking around him to see where his staff had landed. Panic rose up in him when he couldn't detect it.

He glanced up, freezing when he saw the precious shepherd's crook clutched tightly in the hands of a man, almost six feet tall. He had gray hair sharply pulled back from his face; the wispy goatee of the same color illuminated his stern frown and features.

"Father Time," Jack breathed.

He gave no sign that he had heard, other than a slight inclination of his head.

"Standard procedure," Chiara spoke from across the room, voice echoing. "No weapons allowed in the Temple."

Jack couldn't help giving a snort at that, "Really? The Temple?"

Her nostrils flared, and she stood, stepping off of the platform the table had been resting on. "Safety, as you should know, comes first for me."

"Right…" Jack raised an eyebrow, "Can I have my staff back now?"

"No, Jack." Chiara gave him a tight smile, "I think it's a time we had a little chat, don't you?"

"Uh…"

"You defeated my Grandfather, am I not correct in asking?"

Jack rubbed the back of his neck, blinking at the sudden change in pace, "Well, I had help."

Her eyes flashed, "Do you know what has become of him?"

"I…" He trailed off, a lump forming in his throat.

Chiara laughed humorlessly, turning her back on him, "As I expected, Jack. No, maybe it is better that you are ignorant."

Jack shook his head, "Pitch was planning to harm the children of the world, Chiara. He had to be stopped."

Chiara faced him sharply, "You do not speak his name," she hissed. "You, Jack Frost, have no right."

Jack raised his hands placidly, "I'm sorry, Chiara, but-"

She stepped closer, until they were almost nose-to-nose. "Jack Frost, you are nothing but a child. You skip through my duties as if it were a game. You don't understand how much it…" She inhaled abruptly, "You are too… _lenient_… with the obligations bestowed upon you by that _oaf _in the sky. You know nothing of _true_ responsibility-"

"Oh, and you do?" Jack interrupted, "Tell me again who started enough ice ages to wipe out the planet because of a temper tantrum?" He raised an eyebrow, "I think I should be the one lecturing on responsibility here."

Chiara went silent at that, head slowly cocking to one side, "You know, Jack, we're not so different, you and I." She said after a moment.

"And how'd you work that one out?"

"Other than the obvious," she started to walk around him, making Jack twist to keep her in sight, "you and I have the same goal. You want to be known, Jack. You want to be accepted, you want attention."

"Oh, and that's where you're wrong Chiara." Jack contradicted, voice low. "I know my place. I know where I belong in the world. I am recognized, in my own way." He crossed his arms, "unlike you."

Chiara didn't look at him, instead taking his staff from her father's hands. Jack stiffened, hands curling. "Then Jack," she looked over her shoulder, giving him a playful smile as she examined the wood, "why do you sound so unsure?"

"I don't sound unsure-"

"Oh yes, you do. You're afraid, Jack. The Guardians, as they're now called," she scoffed, "continue to reject you. They've been together for centuries. Compared to them, you're just a blip on the radar. You want to them to notice you. But they don't. They don't really care about you, Jack. Don't you see? They were using you, just as the moon was. And now that you've done what they've wanted, they're stuck with you. And that little boy, Jamie, I believe-"

"Don't you dare bring him into this," Jack hissed. "Jamie and the Guardians are none of your business."

"Oh, but I think they are quite my business. But if you don't see it that way…" She spun the staff around one hand, a move that Jack recognized purely because he himself had done it before.

"Give that-" he lunged forward, taking the staff from her in one swift movement. He leaned against it, glaring at her. She didn't try to stop him, only gazing at him impassively.

"Touchy, touchy," Chiara tutted. "You know Jack, I think you ought to learn some respect before I let you back into your power range."

"You let me?" Jack growled. "I don't need your permission to do anything." He raised the staff's end at her, ready to fire off a blast. From the corner of his peripheral vision, he saw Father Time take a defensive step forward, only to be stopped as Chiara raised her hand.

"Oh, but Jack," she mock pouted. "I just need you to remember who's been control of winter longest? Who can cancel the other out, hmm?"

"What?" Jack murmured, glancing down at his staff.

His heart almost stopped beating as he examined it closer. From where he was holding his staff, there were absolutely no frost patterns seeping out. Just a useless stick of wood.

"What have you done?" He whispered in horror, looking up at her.

"Oh nothing, Jack," she said, a faint smile twisting her lips. "You should have known that between the Moon and my dear, dear mother, who would have won out."

"No…" Jack concentrated on that hidden power that he had only ever exploited twice, but nothing came up. "Are you blocking me?"

"Smart boy, Jack," Chiara whispered. "It's a trick that Spirits have long since had over sprites."

Oh, that was crossing a line. "You-" On instinct, Jack raised his staff, channeling the power amassed over 300 years.

Well, that was the theory. He groaned in frustration when nothing happened, the winter inside of him sapped. He hadn't felt this powerless since Pitch had broken the staff and cast him into an abyss.

"Oh, Jack, I think you need a bit of a history lesson." Chiara said, false cheeriness coloring her voice, "your powers, of course, have never been your strong suit."

"What?" Jack barely got it out before a pair of strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him into the air. His staff was daintily plucked out of his grip as he kicked at the person holding him, wheezing.

"Father, if you will." Chiara's voice quietly came over to him.

The arms squeezed tighter around Jack, and spots danced across his vision. He gasped once, and then everything went black.

* * *

Chiara twirled the staff, the frost patterns swirling back onto it once more. They were jagged and darker this time, suiting its new owner much more nicely.

She smiled, running her fingers along it. So much potential, just bottled up…

"Chiara!" A familiar voice made the Spirit's head snap up, eyes narrowing at the hidden doorway into the Temple. Her smile grew wider as she recognized the figure stumbling towards her.

"Violeta, such a pleasure to see you again."

Violeta glared at her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders, "Where's Jack?"

"Ah, Vi, you haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Where is Jack, Chiara? He came in here and he hasn't come back out and what have you done to him and _why do you have his staff?!_" Her voice grew hysterical as she noticed the painfully obvious.

Chiara's smile dropped, "I'll let Father escort you out."

"Chiara… I don't know what you did," Violeta's voice held a warning. "but I will find him."

"Of course you will," Chiara smirked. "You were always quite resourceful."

Chiara turned away from her then, tuning out the sounds of her sister's and father's increasing volume in their ensuing argument.

Oh yes, this was going to be fun.

* * *

Jack groaned, back arcing on the uncomfortable surface. He rolled over, cracking one eye open blearily.

Where was he? The last thing he remembered was…

He sat up. The Glade of the Seasons. His staff. _Chiara_.

He stared around himself, eyes wide. He seemed to be on some kind of bed, covered with a knitted blanket. His fingers clawed at the mattress, a thin sheet stuffed with soft material.

He glanced beside him, heart leaping to his throat when he saw another small body underneath the covers. For a second, he feared that they were dead, when he saw their chest rise and fall slightly. They were only sleeping. Jack breathed a sigh of relief.

Being careful not to disturb them, he swung his feet out of bed, wincing as they hit a dreadfully cold floor. Man, it was freezing in here.

Wait. Jack frowned, eyes screwing shut as he shivered. Why was the cold bothering him? He had always been more than comfortable in cold before. Had Chiara done something?

He tried to think back to what she'd said.

_Your powers, of course, have never been your strong suit._

_A history lesson._

"Oh no," he breathed, eyes widening. She… she didn't. She couldn't have.

Slowly, Jack reached up with one hand, wincing as he plucked out a hair. Dreading the answer, he held it up to the light, examining it. He choked.

It was brown.

* * *

**AN**

**Well... I updated...**

**But, to make up for it, I gave you 13 pages and 4,956 words for your patience.**

**I feel like all my OCs were blending together. Except for Nima. Oh my gosh, she is probably one of the best characters I've ever come up with.**

**So yeah... Yes? No? Maybe?**

**Thanks to **_Maddie, iAMwhatIamK, Annabeth chase101, _**and**_ ILikeToS__neeze_** for reviewing. **


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